"Linux Device Drivers" from O'rielly actually has a sample device driver
that reads/writes to the parallel port. If you can build the hardware the
software doesn't sound that complicated.
Jason
On Wed, 18 Dec 2002 wchast@utilpart.com wrote:
> This is a little project I am going to try to take on because
> the cost of a device available commercially is off on another
> planet.
>
> My wife has a live bait business, part of that involves delivering
> bait fish to bait and tackle shops. She has to count the buggers,
> and the count always is off regardless of WHO counts them. I started
> looking around for a fish counting device and found one that uses
> a optical scanner to count them as they go through a sluice. The optical
> part uses IR LED's to illuminate, and the detector or scanner uses
> what appears to be a column of detectors on the other side of the
> sluice, as a fish goes by it the detectors see the change in IR flux
> and can detect when one fish is ahead of the tail of the first fish
> thereby not opening all of the optical path.The fish will be anywhere
> from 3-6 inches in size.
>
> The manufacturer of this device wants more than $5K for it, I suppose
> that is ok for some government operation that has deep pockets but
> at $0.25/fish she will have to catch a lot of fish to pay for it, she
> also has to pay a truck used to deliver them and the guy and boat who
> actually goes out and catches them.
>
> The hardware does not look to be that great a deal. It is probably in
> the software where the cost is.
>
> My idea would be to feed the data from the sensors into the parallel
> port and read it at a rate such that I get each fish as it goes down
> the sluice.
>
> Now my question is this, do any of you have a idea of where I should
> start with this one. The hardware is a no brainer, I can get IR sources
> and detector arrays, I can build the sluice and other material, but I
> will need to come up with some software that can count the fish as the
> go in front of the detector. Has anyone done anything similar in terms
> of software?
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Chuck Hast
> Telecomms Consultant, Utility Partners.
> WEB www.utilpart.com
> Office number: 813.282.8828 x 1175
> C-phone number: 813.765.6743
> E-mail: wchast@utilpart.com
> SMS < 150 characters: 8137656743@mobile.att.net
> ARS KP4DJT
>
> To paraphrase my flight instructor;
> "the only dumb question is the one you DID NOT ask resulting in my going out
> and
> having to identify your bits and pieces in the midst of torn and twisted
> metal."
>
>
>
>
> *****************************************************************
> This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are
> intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is
> addressed. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify
> the sender immediately and destroy any hard copies you may have printed and
> remove all copies of the e-mail from your hard drive. Opinions, conclusions
> and other information in this message that do not relate to the official
> business of Utility Partners, Inc shall be understood as neither given nor
> endorsed by it.
>
> Visit us on the web at http://www.utilpart.com
> *****************************************************************
>
>
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Fri Aug 01 2014 - 19:32:56 EDT